Three-piece tubular coupling.



P. C. HILL.

THREE-PIECE TUBULAR COUPLING.

APPLICATiON FILED NOV. 20. 1915.

1,Z 9,0'?9n Patented June 5, 1917.

ITED STATES PATEN QFFTE PAUL C. HILL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

THREE-PIECE TUBULAR COUPLING.

-1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 191.7.

Application filed November 20, 1915. Serial No. 62,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL C. HILL, a citi- Patent No. 1,113,556.

An object of this improvement is to provide a tubular coupling of greatstrength and durability, in which all wear is compensated for and whichis capable of forming a non-leaking joint under high pressure andadapted to be connected and disconnected with great ease and rapidityand without liability of impairing the tightness of the joint by reasonof frequent or multitudinous use.

()ther objects and advantages may appear from the subjoined detaildescription.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the" invention. I

Figure 1 1s a broken longitudinal section of the coupling connectedtogether and unit-1 ing two sections of the tubing of a deep well pump.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line m Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentalelevation partly in section on line as -m Fig. 2, one of the internallugs of the outer member being sectioned on the peripheral radius of theintermediate locking member and shown in place between said lockingmember and :1. lug of the inner member.

Fig. 4. is a fragmental section on line 1ndicated by 00 -00 Fig. 2,omitting the inner member.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the intermediate locking member detached,

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the inner mem her detached.

Fig. 7 is an axial section of the outer member detached.

Fig. 8 is a view of the insertion end of the intermediate lockingmember.

Fig. 9 is a view of the insertion end of the inner member.

Fig. 10 is a View of the receiving end of the outer member.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 are on a reduced scale and Figs. 8, 9, 10 are on a stillfurther reduced scale.

The internal tubular member 1 is internally threaded as at 2 at one endto receive the threaded end of a well-tubing section 3 and formed into anipple 4 at the other end and provided between the nipple andtheinternally threaded seat 2 with external lugs 5, and between saidlugs and the nipple with an offset 4 and a ground tapering shoulder 6.The outer tubular member 7 is constructed at one end 8 to receive theillternal member 1 and has an internally threaded section 9 at theotherend for connection with the threaded end of the tubing section 10 and isprovided between the threaded section 9 and the receiving end 8 withinternal lugs 11 to engage the external lugs 5 of the inner member 1;one or both of the engaging edges, a, b, of the internal and externallugs being spirally arranged.

Said outer member is provided between its threaded section and said lugswith a chamber 12 to receive the nipple 4 of the internal member and isprovided between said chamber 12 and the internal lugs 11 with alugreceiving chamber 13 to receive the lugs 5 after they have passed thelugs 11, and provided between said chambers 12 and 13 with a ground seat14 to seat the ground shoulder 6, and also provided between said.chambers 12 and 13 with an intermediate chamber 15 to loosely receivethe offset 4: of the internal member. One or both of the engaging edgesa, b of the lugs 5 and 11 being spirally arranged, the inner and outermembers are connected and disconnected by being relatively rotated; thereaction between the lugs 5 and 11 forcing the ground shoulder 6 intothe ground seat 14 therefor, as the coupling is made.

i The spiral edges. of the lugs of either member are symmetricallyarranged; corresponding ends thereof terminating in the samecross-sectional plane; and the lugs of each member are spaced apart toadmit between them the ings of the other member.

The chambers 12 and 15 loosely fit the nipple 4 and offset 4 so as tomeasurably guide the ground taper shoulder 6 into the ground taper seat14 without finally interfering with the exact seating of said shoulder 6in said seat 14 therefor.

The intermediate locking member comprises a tubular body 16 havingwedge-like locking prongs 17 to enter between the pairs of contactinglugs 5, 11 when the outer and inner members have been reversely turnedto tightly screw said lugs together to force the taper shoulder 6 andtaper seat-14L together. The forward edges 18 of the prongs are aslantto wedgingly engage the rear edges 19 of the external lugs 5 of 'theinternal member. The tubular body'l6 forms a sliding fit upon the casing3, against the end of or in alinement with the inner member, and is atall times above the upper ends of the other two members of the'couplingso that proper tools may be used to tighten or loosen the coupling. I y

The outer end of the locking member is provided with an annular notch 20terminating at an angular collar 21, the purpose or this notch being toreceive a support not shown, upon which the shoulder '21 may rest, sothat when the tubing has been raised to withdraw a section from thewell, the collar 21 may be held by the support while the tubing isslightly lowered, thus to withdraw the outer member 7 from theintermediate locking member; whereupon a wrench may be applied to theupper section 3 of the tubing, and aback up wrench to the outer member,so that the inner member maybe turned to withdraw the lugs 5 and 11 fromtheir engagement with each other, thus allowing the external lugs 5 tobe drawn out through. the inter-lug spaces 22. p

The'contacting edges of'the internal and external lugs areo'fcorresponding pitch so that when the outer and inner members have beenunited there is a large area or contacting lug surface to resist thestrain and thus the likelihood of jamming or loosening by wear isminimized. 1

, The lower end of 'the outer member 7 projects from the tubing 10 toreceive the elevators by which the tubing is raised and lowered. and theintermediate body and upper end of the outer member 7 are cylindrical,and in practice the back-up wrench, not shown, will be applied to thecylindrical portion 0 of the outer member outside of the nipple-at. Thelower end 23 of the outer member is of the same thickness as the usualcollar for connecting the tubing sections 10,'and said outer memberenlarges by a tapering swell 2a to a diameter at c suiiicienttoaccommodate the chamber 13.

In practical use one or these couplings will be applied to connectdetermined tubing lengths, which lengths maybe made up of two or moresections of tubing; depend- Copies of this patentmay be obtainexif'orlugs,

ing upon the length of upended tubing that can be accommoda-ted in thederrick.

The threaded portions of the tubing and coupling members are tightlyscrewed home so that considerable force is required to loosen them. Incontrast thereto the spiral edges of the lugs become loosened under veryslight force whenever the prongs of the locking member are withdrawnfrom between the lugs. Consequently,"no care is required to insure thatthe couplings shall loosen as required irrespective of whether thewrench is placed on the tubing or on the coupling. 7

' When the parts are screwed home and locked'or keyed in place by theintermediate member the whole forms a compact joint as shown in F ig., 2for uniting the tubing sections 3 and 10.

In the form shown each or the members is provided with three lugs, andconsequently,the operation or attaching and detaching the joint afterthe "intermediate member has been withdrawn is accomplished by one-sixthor a turn.

I claim A coupling comprising 'an inner tubular member internallythreaded atone end and reduced and formed'in a nipple at the other endand provided betweenthe nipple and the internally threaded end withexternal the edges of which nearest the i'n-' ternally threaded end areinclined at slight pitch in one direction around said inner member; anouter tubular member con structed at one end to receive the innermember, and internally screw-threaded at the other end and providedbetween thereceiVing end and the internal threads with a seat in whichsaid nipple fits and provided between said seat and the receiving end,with internal lugs the edges nearest said seat being. adapted to engagethe inclined edges of the lugs of the inner member when said members arerelatively rotated for that purpose; and an intermediate member havingwedging prongs inserted between the lugs to hold the lugs in closeengagement with each other. g

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,"California, this 11th day of November, 1915.

7, PAUL C. HILL.

Witness:

JAM-ES R. TOWNSEND.

five cents each, by addressing'the Cominissionertf Patents,

Washington, D; O.

